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Post by momto4 on Jan 27, 2009 11:48:43 GMT -5
Next year's school calendar is now posted on the district's website. The first day of school will be August 20 and classes are scheduled to end on May 28. The complete school calendar is available online at www.ipsd.org/Uploads/news_21865_1.pdf
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Post by momto4 on Jan 27, 2009 11:54:14 GMT -5
I am *very* disappointed in this new calendar that has school starting on August 20. This IMO is much too early to start the school year. I know there are some advantages... for example, more time to prepare for AP exams.
This year's juniors already feel they got a raw deal when they were the first class to not have an 8th grade graduation (though I agreed there shouldn't be one, their older siblings had one and they didn't). They lost the graduation and the finishing of their school year a little earlier than the other kids.
Now it looks like as seniors next year they will have a longer school year than all previous years of seniors, again taking away the fun of getting out of school before everyone else.
Also, when it comes to summer in the Chicago area, late August is much better weather for outdoor fun activities than early June, and much more likely to be hot and causing us to wish we had a/c in the grade schools. If anything, the school year should start around Sept. 1 to cut down on the potential number of hot classroom days.
I do like when we start on a Wed. or Thurs. but make it a week or two later than this!
Also, for this year only, it seems like an extra week would be useful for getting more ready in MVHS before the students are there and giving more chance for students and staff to tour the building before the first day.
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Post by WeNeed3 on Jan 27, 2009 11:57:07 GMT -5
Agree with everything you said mt4. Too bad. With the extra snow days this year and the early start next year, it will be a short summer. I pity the kids and teachers in the ES's without air.
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Post by eb204 on Jan 27, 2009 12:23:47 GMT -5
Apparently, it was the staff who opted for this calendar option. A vote/poll was taken and this choice was the popular vote.
It would seem that the schools being ready in time for the Aug. 2009 opening is not a concern of the staff, so that's good news. Otherwise, I would think that more would have been persuaded to vote for a later start date.
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Post by momto4 on Jan 27, 2009 12:35:52 GMT -5
Apparently, it was the staff who opted for this calendar option. A vote/poll was taken and this choice was the popular vote. It would seem that the schools being ready in time for the Aug. 2009 opening is not a concern of the staff, so that's good news. Otherwise, I would think that more would have been persuaded to vote for a later start date. I wonder why the ES staff would want a schedule like this. What are the benefits for them? I also wonder if they were offered only the choice between this date and the following Monday, or if there was the option of starting a full week later (which I would like so much better!). I know the HS will be ready on time but I also know that Mr. Schmid has mentioned not being in the building until August, so it seems like even a few more days would be useful at that point in time.
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Arwen
Master Member
Posts: 933
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Post by Arwen on Jan 27, 2009 12:53:39 GMT -5
I agree MT4. Way too early to me. This is 2 1/2 weeks before Labor Day! It would have been nice if they'd polled the parents in addition to the staff. Don't our opinions on this issue count?
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Post by momto4 on Jan 27, 2009 12:57:45 GMT -5
I agree MT4. Way too early to me. This is 2 1/2 weeks before Labor Day! It would have been nice if they'd polled the parents in addition to the staff. Don't our opinions on this issue count? Not with Dr. D in charge... I don't understand why it wouldn't matter what we think. This is a big change and in line with what 203 has been doing. I was so glad we weren't stuck with that schedule and now we are. And then we were presented with the calendar with no rationale given for it. On the rumor of this calendar change I had already changed the vacation I had booked for this summer. I know there are bigger issues in the world but this one really does have a negative impact on my family and I'm sure many others as well.
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Post by southsidesignmaker on Jan 27, 2009 13:12:45 GMT -5
The plus side is the late May finish time. That will help those families that plan early summer vacations or corresponding college student vacation time tables. Though I will have to admit that with most summer sports August is the ideal time to get the family vacation in.
I do struggle a bit with the idea of the summer heat and those subject to it at the grade school level. There is a possibility of having 3-4 weeks of high temperature along with oppressive humidity.
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Post by momto4 on Jan 27, 2009 13:22:04 GMT -5
The plus side is the late May finish time. That will help those families that plan early summer vacations or corresponding college student vacation time tables. Though I will have to admit that with most summer sports August is the ideal time to get the family vacation in. I do struggle a bit with the idea of the summer heat and those subject to it at the grade school level. There is a possibility of having 3-4 weeks of high temperature along with oppressive humidity. Also summer stage takes up all of June and half of July, and my college student gets done with school around June 10 as do some of the other schools on trimesters. This seems like a step backward in terms of dealing with heat in the ES.
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Post by eb204 on Jan 27, 2009 14:01:36 GMT -5
I agree MT4. Way too early to me. This is 2 1/2 weeks before Labor Day! It would have been nice if they'd polled the parents in addition to the staff. Don't our opinions on this issue count? While it probably would have been nice to include parents in this poll, after what this district and admin. have been through with boundaries, I don't blame them for not going back to the community with this decision. This would only open up a can of worms and it wouldn't please everyone. Someone would also have cause to blame the SB/SD regardless of the outcome. Even though the referendum passed by a good margin, there are people still griping about the need for a third high school. Do you really think we all coud come to an agreement on when school should start? I like the mid week start, but don't like that we start that early. Putting it into persective, though, it's really 4 days earlier than the Aug. 24 start date, which was the other option. For those planning vacation that third week in August, it does mess with plans. Personally, our family doesn't plan anything major the week before school, as that is our time to start getting into the school routine anyway. It's worked for us and we'll probably continue that routine, even with a Thursday start.
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Post by asmodeus on Jan 27, 2009 16:16:51 GMT -5
You make it sound like it was virtually unanimous. The ref FAILED the first time and at least 40% voted NO the second time. Please stop trying to spin it as though all but few crackpots are happy about the 3rd HS.
So because one issue is contentious, we should just abandon all public feedback/discussion and let the SB come down from Mount Sinai with their proclamations?
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Arwen
Master Member
Posts: 933
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Post by Arwen on Jan 27, 2009 16:25:22 GMT -5
I agree MT4. Way too early to me. This is 2 1/2 weeks before Labor Day! It would have been nice if they'd polled the parents in addition to the staff. Don't our opinions on this issue count? While it probably would have been nice to include parents in this poll, after what this district and admin. have been through with boundaries, I don't blame them for not going back to the community with this decision. This would only open up a can of worms and it wouldn't please everyone. Someone would also have cause to blame the SB/SD regardless of the outcome. Even though the referendum passed by a good margin, there are people still griping about the need for a third high school. Do you really think we all coud come to an agreement on when school should start? I like the mid week start, but don't like that we start that early. Putting it into persective, though, it's really 4 days earlier than the Aug. 24 start date, which was the other option. For those planning vacation that third week in August, it does mess with plans. Personally, our family doesn't plan anything major the week before school, as that is our time to start getting into the school routine anyway. It's worked for us and we'll probably continue that routine, even with a Thursday start. If their bad experience with a contentious boundary issue keeps them from seeking parent opinions/feedback on everything else, then we truly are in sad shape.
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Post by asmodeus on Jan 27, 2009 16:31:04 GMT -5
I also can't help but think that this is a slick way for the SB to advance the A/C issue (as everyone will be howling at the mid-August heat).
I really see little logic to the proposed calendar.
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Post by eb204 on Jan 27, 2009 17:31:16 GMT -5
While it probably would have been nice to include parents in this poll, after what this district and admin. have been through with boundaries, I don't blame them for not going back to the community with this decision. This would only open up a can of worms and it wouldn't please everyone. Someone would also have cause to blame the SB/SD regardless of the outcome. Even though the referendum passed by a good margin, there are people still griping about the need for a third high school. Do you really think we all coud come to an agreement on when school should start? I like the mid week start, but don't like that we start that early. Putting it into persective, though, it's really 4 days earlier than the Aug. 24 start date, which was the other option. For those planning vacation that third week in August, it does mess with plans. Personally, our family doesn't plan anything major the week before school, as that is our time to start getting into the school routine anyway. It's worked for us and we'll probably continue that routine, even with a Thursday start. If their bad experience with a contentious boundary issue keeps them from seeking parent opinions/feedback on everything else, then we truly are in sad shape. I agree that we are in sad shape. I don't agree with administration not asking for feedback, though. I only meant that I can understand their hesitation in not doing so. Also, I would imagine that they only went out to staff because it involves their contract and the number of days they work, etc. However, I know nothing about the inner workings of the contracts, so I really don't know if that is the case or not.
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Post by eb204 on Jan 27, 2009 17:34:07 GMT -5
You make it sound like it was virtually unanimous. The ref FAILED the first time and at least 40% voted NO the second time. Please stop trying to spin it as though all but few crackpots are happy about the 3rd HS. So because one issue is contentious, we should just abandon all public feedback/discussion and let the SB come down from Mount Sinai with their proclamations? I just think their a little "gun shy" now. I agree with SSSM's comments a few days back..."you can truly be a crab ankle" or somthing to that effect.
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